An ally of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been transferred from house arrest to a detention center, where she will be held for the remainder of her trial on extremism charges.
Ksenia Fadeyeva, who formerly ran Navalny’s office in the Siberian City of Tomsk, is the latest in a string of Russian crackdowns on political activists, independent journalists and rights workers.
Fadeyeva was also a member of the local legislature in Tomsk.
The transfer to a detention center comes after she was placed under house arrest three weeks ago for violating her restrictions. A prosecutor demanded the ruling be switched and she be jailed.
Fadeyeva is facing charges of extremism and has been placed on Russia’s “terrorist” list — though allies of hers have said she is only promoting “legal and open political activity.”
“The state cannot and does not want to punish real extremists,” Fadeyeva ally, Andrei Fateyev said.
Fadeyeva was arrested in 2022 and has since been forbidden from using the internet, communicating with others without permission and attending public events.
Her trial began in August and was closed to the media after it began.
Fadeyeva is one of many Navalny associates who have faced criminal charges, after Russia outlawed his Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of regional offices. Many other allies of Navalny have fled Russia.
Navalny is serving a total of 19 years in prison on extremism and other charges he claims are politically motivated.
Navalny was arrested in 2021 after returning to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from a poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. Moscow has denied any involvement in his poisoning.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.
